
ACC worker tried to kill herself
20 April 2004
By CUSHLA MANAGH
Former ACC case manager Willemina van Riel says her job at ACC was so stressful she tried to kill herself.
Mrs van Riel, of Invercargill, is no longer employed by ACC but she said yesterday that her memories of working in "that toxic place" were still painfully fresh.
ACC, the state agency responsible for preventing workplace injuries, has been accused of bullying and overworking staff.
Labour Department watchdog OSH has investigated and says ACC has introduced a system to manage workplace stress.
OSH is monitoring the situation and is talking to ACC about complaints of stress from staff in other ACC offices.
ACC said complaints about stress, workload and bullying had not been substantiated.
It had confidence in the systems it had put in place to manage workplace stress.
Spokesman Fraser Folster said ACC had no plans to review its systems or procedures, and it had no evidence to indicate that problems were widespread throughout the organisation.
ACC Minister Ruth Dyson's office referred all queries to ACC, saying it was an operational matter for ACC rather than something the minister would comment on. Ms Dyson was asked at the end of last year if any claims of work-related stress had been reported within ACC.
She said then that ACC started keeping statistics on employee reports of work stress last July and, to date, no cases had been reported that identified work-related stress as the "primary stressor".
Mrs van Riel faxed The Dominion Post copies of documents showing she was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression after a nervous breakdown four years ago.
She said her collapse was brought about by overwork and lack of support from ACC managers – she had no history of mental illness before starting at ACC.
When she told a manager she could not cope and was feeling suicidal, she said she was told "not to be so silly".
"I remember crying in the corridor one day and I bumped into another case manager who said to me, `at least you can cry – I just go home and drink gin'."
After trying to kill herself, she left ACC and began a long course of counselling and medication.
Mr Folster said Mrs van Riel was paid the equivalent of 30 months of full pay while ACC tried to support her during rehabilitation. Eventually, she left on medical retirement.
He said there was no system of independent professional supervision for frontline staff when Mrs van Riel worked at the Invercargill branch, unlike now.
Mr Folster rejected suggestions ACC staff had bullied her or failed to be supportive.
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